Mechanical chicken feeder



pr 5, 196@ .1. D. MANGUM MECHANICAL CHICKEN FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 22, 1958 R QW QN H N0 Nm Nm W G C NN .mi .MUN-u NN `N I M s .NN M mm mm J j m jf? d C@ C Qw\ om C 3% m. C CHM Q k C @C mv \1. \I @mmm QS. wl. Nw www a mL R d 3C Q :we

Wfymww ,9m

ATTOEA/EYS.

pri 5, 1960 J. D. MANGUM MECHANICAL CHICKEN FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1958 INVENTOR.

JAMES o. MAA/GUM,

ATTOQ/VEYS.

NECHANICAL CHICKEN FEEDER James D. Mangum, Mendenhall, Miss.

Application August 22, 1958, Serial No. 756,622

4 Claims. (Cl. 119-52) This invention relates to poultry feeders, and more particularly to an automatic chicken feeder of the type employing an endless conveyor belt for distributing the feed material to a plurality of chicken feeding troughs.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved automatic feeding device for supplying predetermined quantities of feed material to a plurality of chicken feeding troughs, the device being simple in construction, being relatively compact in size, and being provided with means for automatically terminating operation thereof when all of the individual feeding troughs have been provided with the proper amount of feed material.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanically operated chicken feeder which involves relatively inexpensive components, which is durable in construction, which is reliable in operation, and which requires a minimum amount of human supervision.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical, fragmentary, longitudinal cross sectional view taken through an improved chicken feeder constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l. Y

Figure 3 is. an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the endless conveyor belt employed in the chicken feeder illustrated in Figures l, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical cross sectional view taken through an end portion of the conveyor structure associated with the chicken feeder illustrated in Figure 1, said view being taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal fragmentary vertates Fatent' tical cross sectional View taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing one side marginal portion of the flexible endless t conveyor belt associated with the chicken feeder of lFigure l, and showing one of the distributing linger elements associated therewith in separated relationship with respect to the belt, and illustrating the manner in which the finger element is assembled with the belt.

Figure 8 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the diverging forwardly on the bottom run of the conveyorVV Designated at 19 is a horizontal, longitudinally extending distributing trough which is mounted in the housing 12 above the feed trough 1S and which is provided with respective, longitudinally spaced conduits 20 connecting the distributing troughs to the feed trough 18. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conduit 20 communicates with the distributing trough 19 by alternating triangular chute members 21, said chute'members being alternately connected so as to communicate with opposite side portions of the distributing trough 19. Thus, as shown in Figure 9, the respective chute members 21 are staggered along the distributing trough 19 and are alternately arranged at the opposite side portions of said trough. Furthermore, the chute elements 21 are inclined in the manner illustrated in Figure 9, extending from the center portion of the trough laterally and rearwardly therefrom.

As will be readily apparent from Figures l and 9, the trough 19 comprises the horizontal bottom wall 22 and respective longitudinally extending upstanding vertical side anges 23, 23, whereby the trough has a `generally channel-shaped structure.

Designated at 24 and 25 are respective supporting rollers journaled at the forward and rear ends of housing 12, and mounted on said rollers is a flexible endless conveyor belt 26 which is disposed above the distributing trough 19 with its bottom run located adjacent to and parallel to the bottom wall 22 of the distributing trough. An electric motor 27 is mounted on a supporting bracket 28 secured to the rear wall 16, the motor being provided with a suitable drive pulley 28 which is coupled to the driven pulley 29 connected to roller 25 by a drive belt 30. When energized, the motor 27 rotates the pulley 28 in a direction to drive roller 25 clockwise, as viewed in Figure 1, whereby to move the bottom run of the flexible conveyor belt 26 from the rear portion of housing 12 toward the forward portion thereof.

Designated at 31 is a hopper which is mounted in the rear portion of housing 12 above the rear end portion of the conveyor belt 26, said hopper being provided with respective depending side conduit portions 32, 32 extending adjacent the opposite sides of the conveyor belt 26 and terminating at the inwardly directed bottom discharge spout elements 33, 33 extending through the side flanges of the distributing trough 19 and communicating with said distributing trough so that feed material 34 placed in the hopper 31 will gravitate onto the distributing trough 19 from the opposite sides thereof through the respective conduit portions 32, 32, of hopper 31.

Hopper 31 extends upwardly to the top wall portion 35 of the upstanding end 36 of housing 12, said top wall 35 being provided with a hinged cover 37 which may be opened to allow access to the interior of hopper 31 for the purpose of supplying same with feed material.

Secured on the exible conveyor belt 26 in longitudinally spaced relation thereon are respective flexible supporting plate members 38, comprising sheets of flexible plastic material, or the like, said supporting plates having secured thereon respective groups of outwardly projecting distributing blocks arranged in generally V-shaped congurations, as illustrated in Figure 4. Each group of distributing blocks comprises a generally V-shaped apex block 39, a pair of successive side blocks 49 and respective forwardly tapering end blocks 41, said tapering end blocks belt 26 and being adapted to engage feed material clisposed on the distributing trough 19 and to move the feed material forwardly so that the material will enter the longitudinally spaced chute members 21 and flow intothi conduits 20.

gestes? of square bottom studs 42 on the blocks which engageV in.square .apertures43 formed in the `plate members. 38., the.studs42 andthe bottom surfaces ofrthe blocks being secured to the plate members 38 by means of. suitable cement, or. by any other suitable fasteningmeansl f, Theside. blocks 4d are formed with tijiangularbrace ribs 43. whose bottom. surfaces areush with,I the .bottom surfaces of the main portions of theihlock V40 and which are .likewise adhesively secured tothe yplate member 33 by .suitableadhesive or by any other suitable means, as above described. f. l. As shown in Figure 5, blocksr39,.v40 and..41. diverge when the adjacent V,conveyor beltportion passesv over the rollers 24 and 25.but come togetherrwhen the associated belt portion assumes a horizontal position.;

avAsshowninFigure 6, the blocks,. 39, 40. and are of sucient length so vthat they extend almost in to :engage: mentwith the bottom wall 22 of the distributing trough 19 .and thus. act as .scoops to move the grain.material34 forwardly toward the conduit portions 21 associated with the respective conduit 20.. Y

'Thedistributing trough 19 is providedlatsits,forward l end with a discharge conduit 44-having the. vertical bottom.v spout. 45.

Pivoted to the forward wall .1 .of the housing 12 is a receiving bucket.46.disposed beneath the spoutg45 and suspended from the conduit .44 by a coil 'spring 47v which is connected between the upper portion ofthe lconduit 44 and a ring 48 detachably.-..engaged with tip-hook 49 provided on the rim of bucket`46 oppositeftheV hinged connection 50 thereof. Ring 48 isconnectedfby amtlexible cable` 51 to the operating levermof a control switchSZ, the switch 52 being normally closed butbeing openedV when a predetermined amountof material colf lectsfin the bucket 46 and when vtherweig'htrthereof overf Y comes the biasing force of the spring 47 .,Asshown in Figure 1, the switch 52 .is connected in the energizing circuit of the motor 27,?oneA terminal ofthe motorabeing connected to onersupply linerwire 53`.and the .otherterminal of the motor being connected through a wire 54 and switch 52 to aZremainingasupply wire'55.

Therefore, motor 27 will become energized in the absence offapredeternnned quantity ofmaterial in the bucket 46..

Whena definite quantity of material collects in bucket .46', thetvveight thereof overcomes .the force of spring4'7. and moves the operating lever of switch 52, opening the switch and de-energizing the motor 27.

.-f -In operation, feed material 34 is placed in the hopper.

31,?, and the feed material gravitates downwardly onto. the rear-portionfof the distributing trough119s.- Motor.27 `is Y energizedand drives the conveyor belt 26, vcausing the bottom run of the belt to move forwardly. ,The out:

wardly projecting distributing members 39, V4tland. 41 on the belt move the feed material forwardly, causing thje material to ow into and graduallyll the conduits 20., thus providing predetermined .quanties offfeedY material 4to the respective feeding troughs 18... .When all lthe @.To Yplace the feeder into operation, the; ring:.48. is derV Aed from `thehook 49, allowing thezbucketl' to swing rdownwardly, the material inthe bucketheing collected in asuitable receptacle placed thereunder.-.ffhefempty hpeketv-gis then :returned to its -horizontalpositionwith he hook 49.', engaged in, the ringz48. .-..This;allow s switch allowing, the motor-.5,27 tooperate,' .and1causing th apparatus.toftuntirininthe mannerabovedescrihd: The excess feed material collected from the bucket 45 maybe emptiedinto the hopper 31.along with the-.additional quantity of feed material necessary to replenish the chicken feeding troughs 18.

As shown in Figure 8, the vstudelements 42 on the blocks secured on the flexible plate members Y38 may be of any suitable length, for example, may belong enough to extend into apertures provided in the endless belt 26. By making the studs 42 somewhat greater in length than the thickness. of the. platemembers 331m effective bond is assured between the studs 4?..and the inside surfaces of the apertures 43, whereby the adhesive material employed will effectively secure said studs to the plate members 38.

While an improved chicken feeder has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it ywill be understood that various modifications within the spirit ofthe invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that-no limitations be placedon. the invention except as defined yby the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: Y n

1. In a chicken feederfeof thetype comprising a housing, a plurality of feed troughs disposed in longitudinally spaced relation in the bottom of said housing, a horizontal .longitudinally extending distributing trough mounted in the. housing .above said feed troughs, and respective longitudinally spaced conduits connecting said distributing trough .tosaid feed troughs', the improvement comprising alongitudinally extending endless conveyor belt mounted in thev upperportion of said housing 'upwardly adjacent said distributing trough, said belt comprising a flexible. endless main body, longitudinally spaced flexible supporting plate.v members secured onsaid main.body,.and ref spective groups of outwardly projecting distributing blocks secured on said supporting plate members and arranged in generally V-shaped configurations. t 2. In a chicken feeder of the type comprising a housing, a. plurality of feed vtroughs disposed in longitudinally spacedrelation in the bottom of said housingya horizonf tal, Ylongitudinally extending distributing'trough mounted inthe housing above said feed troughs,.and respective longitudinally spaced conduits connecting said distributing trough to said feed troughs, the improvement comprising a longitudinally'extending endless conveyorbelt mounted in the upper portion of saidhousing upwardly .adjacent said distributing trough,Y said beltcomprising a` flexible endless main body, longitudinally spaced ilexible supportinglplatememberssecured on said main body, and respective groups of outwardly projecting distributingblocks secured on .said supporting plate members and arranged in generally V-shaped configurations, each group-of dis:V tributing-.blocks comprising a vgenerally V-shaped apex block and-.a plurality of successive side blocks disposed adjacent to and diverging from said apex block.

3. Inachicken feeder of the type comprising a housing, @plurality of feed troughs disposed. in longitudinally spaced relation in the bottom of said housing, a horizon7 tal, longitudinally extending distributing. trough mounted in .the housing above .said feed tljoughs, and'respective longitudinally spaced conduits connectingsaid distributing trough to'said feedtroughs, the improvement comprising a longitudinally extending endless conveyor belt mounted in the Y upper portion Y vof said housing .upwardly adjacent said distributing trough, said belt comprising a exible endless-main body, longitudinally spaced fiexible supporting plate members secured on saidmainbody, andrespective; groups ofoutwardly projecting distributing blocks secured on .-,said;. supportinglplate members and arranged yin generallyV-shaped contigurations,.each group of dis.-

tributing vblocks comprising ya generally- V-shaped apex block, apain-of., successive side blocks f disposed on. each side ofgandf diverging from-said apex block, and-.respectiyeiaperednend blocks disposed beyondiand aligned with theside b f Y- urality of feed the d; troughs disposed in, longitudinally spaced relation in the bottom of said housing, a horizontal, longitudinally extending distributing trough mounted in the housing above said feed troughs, and respective longitudinally spaced conduits connecting said distributing trough to said feed troughs, the improvement comprising a longitudinally extending endless conveyor belt mounted in the upper portion of said housing upwardly adjacent said distributing trough, said belt comprising a exible endless main body, longitudinally spaced flexible supporting plate members secured on said main body, and respective groups of outwardly projecting distributing blocks secured on said supporting plate members and arranged in generally V-shaped congurations, each group of distributing blocks comprising a generally V-shaped apex block, a pair of successive side blocks disposed on each side of and diverging from said apex block, outwardly projecting triangular brace ribs on the side blocks having bottom edges adhesively secured to the exible supporting plate members, and respective tapered end blocks disposed beyond and aligned with the side blocks.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,264,332 Peterson Dec. 2, 1941 2,681,639 Littlefield June 22, 1954 

